Maiden flight for new Airbus

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Airbus carried out the maiden flight yesterday of a new freight plane that could mark its entry into plane assembly in the United States, if it wins an epic contest with Boeing over refuelling planes. The A330-200F is the freight version of the European planemaker's mid-sized passenger jet and aims to capture a larger share of a civil air cargo market dominated by Boeing. The aircraft is due to enter service next summer with Abu Dhabi&rsquo;s Etihad Airways, Airbus said, confirming a switch of operator first reported earlier this week by the Reuters news agency